(Youngjae's Perspective)

Youngjae pushed his crumb filled plate to the side and laid his head on the table with a groan and pout. He'd just gotten off the phone with his umma who'd called to invite her youngest son over for the new year. He'd been inclined to go, too, until she told him that Appa had invited some work friends who had a daughter around Youngjae's age that he was certain to get along with.

It was a well known fact that Youngjae was gay. So gay, in fact, that he'd never had nor wanted a girlfriend a single time in his life. His friends knew this and didn't care. Even Youngjae's family knew he was gay and said they supported him, yet his parents still tried at every turn to set him up with some girl. Some support, right? Whether it was the same girl each time or a different one, Youngjae didn't care. He wasn't going to give them the time of day until they said it was a nice guy they'd found for him.

The person seated in front of Youngjae, one Bang Yongguk, lightly patted the younger's head as he let out a long, drawn out sigh. “There, there, Youngjae...” he soothed, his low voice calming Youngjae's nerves.

Yongguk was a long time confidant through school and onwards, as well as one of Youngjae's closest friends. He may be a few years older, but he'd been friends with Youngjae's older brother as well as him. It was his tutoring that helped Youngjae pass his classes, and his odd bits of wisdom that helped him through everything else. Physically, he looked intimidating, like he could easily be in a gang with his deep red hair, tattoos, piercings, and no bull demeanor.

The truth of the matter was that Yongguk was a major softie. To support his older sister's dream of being a tattoo artist, he offered himself up as a canvas. For his brother, who decided to pierce people for a living, he did the same. His hairdresser girlfriend, Song Jieun, got free rein on his hair. So the man was basically a walking model for three different people.

Youngjae rolled his head so he could look up at Yongguk's gentle features. “I don't want to go the New Year's party,” he whined.

During his ten-thirty break, Youngjae had gotten a call from Jongup inviting him to the party he and Zelo were going to be throwing in their apartment on New Year's Eve tomorrow. He'd prefaced it with a declaration that he was certain he'd decline, which he wasn't wrong about, but said the offer still stood if Youngjae changed his mind later.

“Then don't?”

“But I'd feel bad using them as an excuse to get out of visiting my family and not actually going.” Right after the two of them had gotten off work and had settled down for lunch was when Youngjae's umma had called, and he'd ended up telling them he already had plans with friends for the New Year, despite the fact he'd rejected the offer just a few hours ago.

“Then go?”

Youngjae picked his head up off the table and propped it in his palm instead. “I guess... Parties are just so loud,” he complained. “They're going to get so many noise complaints before the end of the party.”

Yongguk shrugged and sipped at his drink. “That's on them, not you.”

Youngjae sipped at his own drink, not bothering to grab the cup or straw with his hands and instead electing to open his mouth dinosaur style to get at the straw. “There will also be alcohol.”

Yongguk leaned further back into his chair before pointing out, “You don't have to drink, Youngjae.”

He had a point. Youngjae didn't have to partake in any alcoholic substances if he didn't want to. 'I'm going to be putting up with this party whether I go or not,' he thought dejectedly. The curse of the cheap rent at the apartment complex was being able to hear nearly everything that occurred in every room of the damn place. “I guess I'm going to go.”

“Good luck?” Yongguk offered with a supportive smile.

“Thanks.” After quickly finishing the rest of his drink, Youngjae stood up to leave. “Time to get back to the apartment. I have a composition due soon. Thanks for lunch!”

Yongguk chuckled and gathered the dishes from the table. “The coffee shop gives us both a free meal a day, it's not a problem. Drive safely, Youngjae.”

With a wave, Youngjae was out the door and in his car, beginning the drive from his workplace to his home base. He wasn't looking forward to working on his composition today. It was such a chore to work with basically no guidelines to what clients wanted accompanied with a deadline...

Because he liked playing the piano so much and had been doing it since he was a kid, Youngjae had originally wanted to share that passion with others. He found a gig online where he could write musical compositions for people who were willing to pay. Youngjae had to price his time, which was often complained to be too expensive. But he wasn't magically ting out these melodies! It took time to do, even longer when his clients didn't specify what they wanted when he asked for specifics!

Then they had the audacity to complain that it didn't turn out like they wanted!

Not only that, almost everyone who lived in the apartment complex had filed some sort of noise complaint against him despite them stomping around, yelling their troubles for the world to hear. Zelo and Jongup had the right idea when they bought their sound blocking headphones.

Youngjae didn't enjoy living here, much preferring quiet suburban neighbourhoods, but it had been the quickest he could find on such short notice. He'd already told his parents he was moving out, but his boyfriend at the time had backed out and broke up with him the day before they were supposed to move in together.

It had been about two years since then, and he still had no where else to go with the salary of a coffee shop baker/barista and the occasional side paycheck from a successful composition. If he moved back in with his parents, that gave them more opportunity to try and hook him up with a girl.

He loved his parents, but no. He wasn't going to subject himself to that!

After Youngjae trudged into the apartment complex, he stopped in the middle of unlocking his apartment door, staring blankly at the sticky note placed between the 104 on the door and the giant writing from the poster below it, 'Noise complaints noted and IGNORED. :)'

At first, Youngjae thought it was another noise complaint, despite the obvious confirmation that it would be ignored. He'd gotten lots of those in his time here, which was the reason he'd put the poster up in the first place. Some of the funnier ones he kept in a box on top of the filing cabinet he kept his music sheets in.

Glad you're having a good time, but my ears aren't!

Unlike you, some of us have JOBS to sleep for, so could you maybe NOT play when I'm trying to sleep?

We get it, you like to play the piano. Now be considerate for the rest of us who don't and STOP!

CALM DOWN, BEETHOVEN!!!

That last one was a personal favourite and had the honour of being on the fridge rather than in the complaint box.

When Youngjae peeled off the purple sticky note on the door, he had to squint to read the scratchy writing and ended up doing a double take when he mentally transcribed it. 'That can't be right...'

It's okay if you don't want to, but will you play something for me? If you don't mind, that is... your piano playing is lovely!

Then scrawled below it was the author's song request, unsigned.

Youngjae stumbled into his apartment, a bit confused about the request in his fingers. The handwriting wasn't familiar, so it couldn't have been from one of his constant complainers. The only other person who'd requested songs was Hyunsik, and he moved out a few weeks ago...

When Hyunsik would suggest or ask for songs, he'd end up playing the guitar up in his apartment alongside Youngjae's piano playing, and the two grew close because of it. If Hyunsik hadn't already been in a committed relationship with his long term girlfriend, Youngjae would've potentially pursued him due to their shared interests. Hyunsik didn't have a problem with gay folks, admitted that he was biual himself, so it wasn't like it would've been out of the question...

At least he get a solid friendship out of it while he was here, though, so that counted for something. Too bad Hyunsik hadn't messaged back since he'd left.

Youngjae decided to play the song that had been requested as one of his warm up songs. After getting his afternoon cup of tea and after finding the sheets online for the request, he placed them with the other warm up songs he'd chosen from the day and ordered them. The requested one second because he didn't want to start off with a song he was unfamiliar with.

With a roll of his neck and a crack of his knuckles, Youngjae set into his routine. Starting off with a song he played every day to get his fingers adjusted, he pressed his fingers into the keys to release the melody. Years of practice clearly showed as his fingers danced across the keys, almost as if on autopilot.

When the song that had been requested was flipped to, Youngjae was pleasantly surprised to find that it flowed easier from his fingers than he initially thought. Especially since it wasn't a song he'd played before!

In hindsight, he probably should've put it farther back in the queue. But if the person who wanted to hear it left before it was played, then he would've gone through the effort of printing out the sheets and playing this song for nothing!

Well, maybe not nothing because Youngjae was always looking to expand his collection of music, and this song was pretty nice. 'Whoever requested this has good musical taste!'

The rest of his queue flowed naturally as well, the momentum gained earlier only intensifying, and soon, it was over. Warm up times were his favourite if only because he could play whatever he wanted to rather than coming up with a melody for what would most likely be an ungrateful client.

While he hadn't been looking forward to this earlier today, Youngjae felt particularly inspired after this warm up, so he had a much easier time of it than he originally thought! When his timer sounded off to signify the end of piano time and to go make dinner, for the first time in as long as he could remember, he didn't want to stop. He had a flow going, and he'd be damned if he was going to forsake it!

His neighbours might not appreciate that, and he was certain he'd find complaints on his door tomorrow. He only set aside a specific time for piano playing due to the complaints of the sporadic way he used to play, after all. But if he could deal with their yelling and stomping around, they could deal with his piano playing!

Rather than let his flow be ruined, Youngjae kept at it. He wasn't going to be able to work on this tomorrow due to the distraction that was Jongup's and Zelo's New Year's party. 'May as well get this done while I can!'

Unfortunately, a text from Jongup brought him out of his musical flow. It was good natured, reminding his friend to eat because he could still hear Youngjae playing past the usual end of piano time. How Jongup had heard him, Youngjae wasn't sure. The kid lived in a constant state of wearing sound blocking headphones or blasting music, so it was a miracle he wasn't at least somewhat deaf.

With his flow gone, Youngjae heaved himself up from his piano so he could prepare dinner. But the sight of a purple sticky note on the floor in front of his door caught his eye. 'I didn't drop the request from earlier, did I?' Youngjae glanced back at his piano to still see the sticky note request there. Slowly, he bent down to pick it up and read it. The words were scratchy just like the request had been.

Thank you, you played it very beautifully! Have a good rest of your evening, Piano Man :)

A warm feeling settled in Youngjae's chest at his efforts having been appreciated. He decided to stick the compliment by his favourite complaint on the fridge, and with a renewed pep in his step, he set into making dinner.

Dinner was chicken stir fry, one of the dishes he was best at since he'd made it so much with his umma. He determined while cooking that he wanted to know who this person was that had given the song request. At the very least let them know his name so they could call him something other than Piano Man.

If he was lucky, they could also be friends!

Youngjae sent a text Jongup's way as he ate dinner and sipped at his second cup of tea for the evening. If anybody knew the goings on of the complex, it was Jongup. 'Perks of being the son of the owners, I suppose.'

Jongup's response was simply a name. Jung Daehyun.

When Youngjae asked for elaboration, Jongup was only able to offer a few things.

This man was Zelo's best friend, and if that meant anything, he was probably as much of a spaz as the giant who dwarfed everyone around him even when he wasn't wearing heels. Daehyun was a waiter at the Shortstub's on the corner. He'd also just taken up residence in Hyunsik's old apartment after staying the past few days with them. He also seemed to have a soft spot for music.

Then Jongup told him he was going to be at the New Year's party tomorrow.

'Well, maybe going to this party won't be such a bad thing after all!'

--

A/N:

When it comes to what Youngjae plays on the piano, I decided I wanted to leave it up to reader interpretation. I do have my own headcanons for them, but I think it's more fun to leave it to y'all's imagination. If y'all ask, though, I'll tell you what my thoughts for it was.

Introduced: Youngjae/Yongguk